3rd May | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2025 – CHW
Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’ at its absolute best outside the front door.

Vivid red new growth on Machilus yunnanensis.

A young Magnolia laevifolia x M. maudiae (BKR 2013001 – Raf Lenaerts gift – February 2020) with its first flowers. I suspect these will get much larger with age.

At least this Rehderodendron macrocarpum did not get trashed by squirrels.

Magnolia ‘Sunburst’.

Deutzia calycosa ‘Dali’ just coming out.

The white sport of Azalea ‘Greenway’ – a good clump in Tin Garden.

Xanthocyparis vietnamensis still with a bit of juvenile foliage.

Aesculus sylvatica is supposed to have orange-red flowers. Perhaps as the flower develops?

Distylium racemosum in flower.

Carya cordiformis coming into leaf.

A young Cercis chingii with a few flowers off the trunk.

Sycopsis tutcheri having its second flowering. Perhaps I now agree that its new name of Distylium racemosum is correct!

2024 – CHW
A tour with the new owners of Trevella.Viburnum setigerum in flower.

While we were away last week cold winds, hail or even frost has caught a few magnolias and other things coming into leaf. Here a Magnolia wilsonii.

Flowers and new growth now on Azalea ‘Caerhays Lavender’.

Flowers out on Rhododendron vaseyi which originates from N&S Carolina.

The white form of Azalea ‘Greenway’ getting away as a clump of 3 in Tin Garden.

Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’ faded and dropping.

I have forgotten which species this is and need to return to check the label ? Rhododendron oreotrepes

Rhododendron ‘Mrs. Lionel de Rothschild’ in the sun.

Jaimie thinks this self-sown seedling above the main quarry is a cross between Rhododendron orbiculare and Rhododendron fargesii.

Rhododendron ovatum just opening in the quarry. These clumps have been cut back at least twice.

I had forgotten that we do have more plants of Rhododendron ‘Veryan Bay’ on Burns Bank.

Wisteria sinensis and Mahonia japonica.

2023 – CHW
Rhododendron johnstoneanum ‘Double Diamond’ looking a bit sick after the drought. An easy seller and one for Asia to propagate.

Magnolia (Michelia) ‘Fairy Cream’ full out and Magnolia ‘Fairy White’ more or less over beside it above Roger’s Quarry.

I think Rhododendron floccigerum is my favourite Rhodo species. It’s the bicolour effect I suppose. We have 2 forms and the other one is even better.

Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ and Rhododendron davidsonianum by Donkey Shoe.

Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ and Rhododendron ‘Saffron Queen’.

2022 – CHW
Up to the greenhouse to photograph some of the malus species and varieties which we are now assembling to plant in the autumn/spring in the Kitchen Garden now it is completely cleared. A lot more to obtain before we start to lay it out but it will eventually be a fine show for visitors in early May when the best of the rhododendrons may be over in an early spring like this one. Most of these varieties are completely new to me and Caerhays but several look fantastic.The wisteria by the Playhouse now full out with no leaves as yet.

Malus ‘Tor Scarlet’

Malus ‘Sun Rival’

Malus ‘Golden Gem’

Malus coronaria ‘Elk River’

Malus ‘Admiration’

Malus toringo – a semi weeping Japanese crab apple growing only to 8-10ft.

Malus baccata – Siberian crab.

Malus ‘Prairie Fire’ – rather similar to ‘Tor Scarlet’?

Also in flower at the greenhouse today:

Libertia chilensis Procera Group which was given to us on a visit to Blarney Castle in Ireland.

Clematis forsteri looking good.

Holboellia latifolia var. chartacea (HWJK 2213) with its very dark flowers.

Berberis hypokerina – a small plant just in flower.

Pimelia drupacea

2021 – CHW
Allen Coombes has asked for photographs and tree measurements of rare species of oaks within the Cyclobalanopsis subgenus of Quercus. Allen is writing the International Dendrology Society New Trees website for this genus which is a gigantic task with 6-700 species worldwide. There are 150 species within Cyclobalanopsis. We grow only eight within this category:Quercus morii (young plant)Quercus fleuryi (almost too tender for us)Quercus lamellosa (original introduction Forrest 1924)Quercus oxyodon (original introduction Wilson 1900)Quercus glauca (original introduction)Quercus gilva (young plant)Quercus myrsinifolia (original introductions)Quercus stenophylloides (small tree from an Allen Coombes collection)Quercus stenophylloides is more or less evergreen but has recently shed its old leaves as the new growth emerges. Planted in 2008 and now about 15-18ft tall.

The original Quercus oxyodon. It flowers some years with long tassels but never any acorns. Cuttings have always failed.

The original Quercus lamellosa which has tried to form acorns in dry summers but has yet to produce viable ones. Will root from new growth cuttings with difficulty.

Quercus oxyodon – a Nigel Holman collection.

I do not think I have ever properly photographed Viburnum sieboldii in flower.

View 3rd May 1897 – 2020

One thought on “3rd May”

Georg Ruf says:

18th June 2022 at 6:12 pm

Peaches and figs have something in common, they best fruit on young, strong twigs, last year grown. Figs flower for a second time on this year grown shoots in July an fruit then again in october to november (fig-flowers look like small fruits as the flowers are inside). So always prune hard, don’t let branches become longe and staggering. (figs and peaches are common garden-trees here)
With Taiwania I’m afraid that cuttings mostly only yield pendulous, small trees, this is our experience. Otherwise they grow well here and doesn’t seem to be drought sensitive. If you want to try cuttings, then try it with the uppermost small twigs or the leader itself, it should get replaced, maybe with the help of a stick. Hard pruning of a thick branche could also yield upright shoots.

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